Tag Archives: Five Minute Friday

Abuse, Faith, Five Minute Friday

Broken But Not Beyond Repair

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Broken

I am joining in with the Five Minute Friday writing community this week. I haven’t written in a while. However, when I saw what the writing prompt was there was only one thing that came to my mind. To tell my story. The word prompt for this week is ‘broken’, and I may have spent a little bit more than five minutes. Click here if you would like to read what other people have written.

Broken But Not Beyond Repair

Broken
Broken But Not Beyond Repair

One of our Associate Vicars gave a sermon last Sunday. It was based on the conversion of Saul when he was travelling to Damascus. Saul’s conversion into Paul would have become one of those moments in history that would have been retold over and over again. Saul’s transformation by Jesus became ‘his story’. It was his story that would have changed how Christianity was perceived forever. 

Picture this. A man who was condemning Christians so much, he would hunt them down and have them killed. This very same man had such an encounter with Christ that it completely turned him around. He now hunts non-Christians down so he can tell them the truth about Jesus and save them. What a story! 

Everyone has a story to tell of how Jesus touches their life. It may not be the flash-out-of-the-sky type of story, but it is a story nonetheless that could change the way a person sees Jesus. 

Our Associate Vicar asked us what our stories are and were we willing to retell our stories for others to encounter Jesus. I would like to say yes, but my story is not an easy one to share. It’s also not something everyone would want to hear. But it is a story that will show others there is hope. If there is anything that I’ve learnt over the past year from this pandemic, is that we all need hope. 

If there is anything that I’ve learnt over the past year from this pandemic, is that we all need hope.  Click To Tweet

What is my Story?

My story is one that tells of a child who felt broken by the effects of sexual abuse. She felt so broken she thought no-one loved her anymore. She felt she didn’t deserve any love. In fact, as she grew older, the shame she carried grew with her. 

I couldn’t trust anyone because I felt so broken. I couldn’t even trust a God who loved me no matter what I had been through. The abuse I suffered completely distorted how I viewed God, and myself. Ultimately, it affected my ability to be able to trust Him and anyone else around me.

It’s been a slow process (nothing like what Saul experienced), but over the years God has shown me how much He loves me. He has shown me it doesn’t matter how broken I may feel inside, I am not beyond repair. It’s not been easy, I won’t lie. I still struggle on a daily basis to accept God’s love and to trust Him. 

One thing I am sure of though is this…I have God by my side through every step of my journey. He will send me His Holy Spirit, not to make me afraid of what is going to happen, but to give me the strength I need so I can step out and tell my story.

With the help of people who God places around me, my healing will continue and I will keep on growing. In the process, my desire is that my story provides a glimmer of hope for someone else going through something similar. 

Something to think about…

Do you have a story to tell? If so, are you willing to share it with someone so they could encounter Christ? If you are a little nervous sharing, why not find a trusted friend to start off with. Telling your story for the first time can be daunting, but with practice it does get a little easier.

Prayer

Lord, thank you for the example of Paul in the Bible in the way that you encountered him. Thank you that he was faithful in telling his story to others so that they could encounter you. I pray that you send your Holy Spirit upon us to help us when we need to tell our stories. Give us the opportunities to speak to others so that we can allow them to encounter you just like we have. And if our stories are hard stories to tell, give us the courage to be a voice to those who need to hear. In your name, Amen.

If anything I have written has resonated with you, then I urge you to seek support. Please be kind to you and practice self-care. IF you’re in the US you can reach out to RAINN at 1.800.656.HOPE. If you are in the UK you can email the Samaritans at Jo@Samaritans.org or call them on 116 123 (UK) or 116 123 (ROI).

Faith, Five Minute Friday

God Holds Us In The Hard

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Having a baby is not easy. There are countless nappies that have to be changed. And then there’s the never ending feeds. The worst part though is the constant disruption to sleep. Being woken up during the night when you are in a deep sleep is not easy to cope with, especially when a crying child needs settling. 

The other night I was woken up abruptly by the sound of one of the twins screaming. No amount of milk or pain relief would soothe her. All I could do was just hold her in my arms tightly close to my chest. I would just keep whispering in her ears, “don’t worry, everything is ok. Mummy has got you.”

Whilst I was holding her and soothing her, I came to the realisation that this is how God is with me. Going through the trials I am facing right now provides a whole heap of pain. It doesn’t matter how much pain relief I try, such as scrolling through Instagram, having a glass of wine or binge watching on Netflix, it doesn’t take away the pain. 

What helps to relieve my pain is knowing that God has hold of me during my hard times. He is gently whispering in my ear “don’t worry, everything is ok. Daddy has got you.”

He will feed his flock like a shepherd. He will carry the lambs in his arms, holding them close to his heart.  Isaiah 40:11

Something to think about…

I love my sleep, very much! But do you know what? I love my babies more. I know the season I am in is a hard one, but I also know it isn’t going to last forever. What does last forever is God’s love and how much He will hold me.

If you feel you are going through a painful time right now, take heart, dear one. Fall into His arms and let Him hold you tightly. 

Prayer

Lord, when we are surrounded by so much uncertainty, let us be reminded by the truth that you are the One who is certain in our lives. When we are in pain, hold us in your loving arms and instil in us a peace that only you can provide. Thank you, Lord, for being there no matter what. Amen.


This was written for the Five Minute Friday Community, where a number of writers gather for a weekly writing challenge around a single word prompt and write to our hearts content, but only for five minutes (or there abouts).

This weeks word prompt is ‘hold’. Click here if you want to see what other people wrote. You can also have a go yourself. What do you think of when you hear the word ‘hold ’?

Faith, Five Minute Friday

Rushing Doesn’t Solve Anything

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Today’s Five Minute Friday prompt is quite apt for me. Rush. This is what I always seem to be doing lately. 

Rushing here…

Rushing there…

I’m rushing everywhere!

Getting into a new routine with five children and being back at work part time is taking a little longer than I anticipated. Ok, so maybe my goal of getting it right on the first day was a little overstretched. 

A mother can dream though, hey?

This morning was just a prime example of everything coming together at once and having no time to sift through it all to see where I am. 

The result? 

I locked myself out of the house! I have NEVER done this before in my entire life. (First time for everything, hey?) 

Three guesses where I left my keys. Pretty much where I always leave them. The funny thing was (and I can laugh about it now…just) I looked there first! I could swear they weren’t in there before. 

How many of us go through life rushing around and don’t see what is there right in front of us? We’re constantly seeking something to fulfil our lives and looking for quick fixes. I do this a lot, but then I miss out on a lot too. 

This is a great reminder to me about the current season we are in. 

Advent. 

Advent is a time when we stop for a minute and think about the One who is coming. The One who will provide the answer to everything we are looking for. The One who we don’t have to search very far for. Because guess what? He is right here folks. He has been right here all along. 

This morning I was rushing around and suffered the consequences. I didn’t even give myself two minutes to stop and pray for help. The result? A very frustrated mummy! I prayed when I got back and lo and behold I quickly found my keys.  

With a little bit of time and a whole heap of slowing down, we may save a lot of time in the long run with not rushing around and missing the point. Don’t miss the point of this season with all the rushing taking place. Take time to think and reflect. You never know what time you would save later on. 

I am trying to intentionally slow down this season, in the midst of my hectic life. I need to reflect on what is important. One of the ways I am taking stock is reading through a series by Shelly Miller.

Shelly has thought provokingly written a series for her Sabbath Society called Slow Christmas. She is providing some focus for keeping Christmas slow and intentional rather than rushed and busy. 

If you feel you need a little help in slowing down this season so you don’t miss the point of it, I’d like to encourage you to join the Sabbath Society. You will then quietly receive an e-mail each Friday where Shelly shares how we can breath and exhale, creating a sense of calm and peace.

Now, who doesn’t need that in this busy season? Click on this link and it will take you to where you need to join.

Book Review, Faith, Five Minute Friday

Challenge Is An Understatement

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Challenge is an understatement

Every single day there is a question someone always asks me. It doesn’t matter if I am walking my kids to school, going shopping, or having a routine visit to the doctors. It’s always the same question…

“Are they twins?“

My devious brain wants to reply back with a quick quip…

“No, actually, they are quads but the other two are left at home”.

Instead, I just smile and nod my head. I’m hoping I can get to where I need to go before the next question gets asked…

“They must be hard work. Aren’t they a challenge?“

A challenge is an understatement - looking after twins

When I respond with the fact my babies are actually children number four and five, eyes open wide with shock. I say looking after my other three children when they were younger was more of a challenge than the twins. (I had a three year old, a 23 month old and a newborn by the time my son was born).

How hard is it really?

Often, people ask how hard it must be. My response has been to disagree with what they have said. I bravely put on a smile and make out everything is hunky-dory. However, deep down inside is a completely different story.

Yes, my twins are a challenge. Yes, it is hard work. I don’t want to admit that though. Who wants to admit they are struggling? And when people ask if it’s hard work, do they really want to hear the truth?

Challenge is an understatement

I underestimated how hard looking after twins was going to be. Twice as hard doesn’t even come close to it.

“Having twins is not twice as hard—it’s exponentially more difficult”

Natalie Diaz, author of What To Do When You’re Having Two and CEO of Twiniversity

I knew what to expect with having three children previously…the sleepless nights…the constant screaming…the never ending feeds. Well, I thought I knew what to expect!

Sleepless nights are taken to a whole new level when two babies are crying. The constant screaming is like having surround sound with the volume turned up! And as for the never ending feeds…I never realised how much milk would be needed. And what goes in must come out, right? Well, let’s just say babies seem to have a way of doubling everything that goes in!

It may be a little bit more than twice as hard, but the blessings I have far outweigh the challenges. I get double the smiles and twice as much love. This is what I try to remember when the going gets a little tough. I’m getting a little help to remember this truth by reading through Becky Keife’s new book “No Better Mom for the Job”.

As a floundering mama with bags under my eyes big enough to prove my lack of sleep, I made a choice to stop fixating on a deficit I had no power to change. After all, God is pretty set on the whole twenty-four hours in a day thing. Instead I decided to concentrate on what was fully within my grasp: my ability to give thanks.

I started to retrain my focus from what stressed me about being a mom to what blessed me.

Becky Keife, “No Better Mom for the Job”

Can I suggest that if you need a little encouragement, go and pre-order Becky’s book? Raising little ones is not easy. In fact, it’s down right hard work. Sometimes it feels like it’s a lonely job. Am I right?

You are not alone

Becky writes about the ups and downs of being a mother to three spirited boys, and I love how she makes me feel like I’m not alone in the job anymore.

You’re probably thinking right now that you haven’t got time to have a shower these days, let alone sit down and read a book. You don’t need to worry. Becky knows too well what it’s like raising little ones, so she has recorded an audio version of her book too! You get to hear Becky’s sweet voice for yourself.

No Better Mom bonus

As a parent I love receiving bonuses, so this one is a fab bonus…If you pre-order Becky’s book before October 1st you get to receive the Audiobook for free! How awesome is that? Order your copy on Amazon or other online retailers today then head over to NoBetterMomBook.com to redeem your FREE AUDIOBOOK preorder bonus!

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This was originally written for the Five Minute Friday Community, where a number of writers gather for a weekly writing challenge around a single word prompt and write to our hearts content, but only for five minutes (or there abouts). 

I couldn’t stick to five minutes on this one though. The word prompt though was “challenge”. You can click here to view what other people have written. 

Abuse, Faith

God Loves a Willing Heart

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God loves a willing heart

God called Mary. He called her to do the unthinkable. I’m not referring to giving birth to the Son of God although, that was pretty major! No, I’m referring to God calling Mary to be willing and God loves a willing heart.

Think about it. 

Mary had to be willing to do as God called her in the face of adversity. She was going to face her hardest trial yet. Mary was young, poor, not yet married…and was pregnant! People she knew and loved would turn their backs on her.

Mary had never been intimate with a man before therefore, how can she be pregnant? Can you imagine the gossip going around? The looks. The innuendos. People talking behind her back. 

What would you do if you were in her shoes? 

Well, I feel a little like Mary at the moment. No, I am not pregnant! I feel God is asking me if I am ready to take the next step in carrying out His purpose in my life. 

I’ve had a stirring in my heart now for about 3-4 years. I said yes to God for Him to use me and to use what I had been through in my past. It’s been a long period of cultivating my heart and waiting on what God wants me to do.

It’s not been easy. Sometimes it’s been a painful learning process but, God has strengthened me in my healing. He gave me opportunities at various times to share my story.

Over the last 3-4 years, how He has wanted to use me has remained unanswered, and at times this has been frustrating. I want to help other people who have been through similar situations to my own and I know what I have been through in my life will make a difference for others. 

Well, this has changed over the last month. I feel a big stirring inside me that something big is going to happen. I’ll be honest though…I am scared!

I’m on the launch team for Mary DeMuth’s book “We Too: How the Church Can Respond Redemptively to the Sexual Abuse Crises”. When I saw what this book was about, I realised I had to jump at the chance to be on the launch team. I am passionate about helping people who have been sexually abused.

The scary bit? Being a voice for those who need to be heard. This means being vulnerable and leaving myself open. And that is scary. 

I have questioned if this is the right thing for me to do. After all, I could just keep quiet and have an easier life! However, I feel I have this deep stirring in my heart and I need to be willing. No matter how scared I feel. This is what it means to have a willing heart in the moment when God asks something of you. 

Could you be like Mary?

Have you been praying for God to use you in some way and has He asked you to do the unthinkable? What would you honestly do?

Are you scared and would you respond by hiding away? Well, God will give you strength. 

Isaiah 41:10

Would you say you are not worthy to be chosen? Well, God says you are so worthy. 

John 15:16

Or, would you be like Mary and say, “Here I am, Lord”?

Luke 1:38

If you are scared, don’t be. We just need to have a willing heart. God will do the rest. He will prepare us for what is to come next. 

If you are scared, don’t be. We just need to have a willing heart. God will do the rest. Click To Tweet

This post was originally written for the Five Minute Friday Community which is where a number of writers gather for a weekly writing challenge around a single word prompt. We write to our hearts content and only for five minutes (or there abouts). 

I couldn’t stick to five minutes on this one and ended up missing the link up! Doh!! The word prompt was “willing” and you can click here to view what other people have written.